SureVital’s Healthy Living Blog

For those of you who love that wonderful golden dish from India, you may be making a smarter choice than you realize.

A recent study in India found that people who regularly ate curry experienced a noticeable improvement in cognitive function when compared to people who rarely if ever, consumed curry. This looks like an element of hope in the war against Alzheimer’s.

“How does that work!?!”, you say. Well, let me explain a bit further. Alzheimer’s disease is a well known chronic condition that slows the thought processes in those affected. Though not fully understood, researchers seem to be drawing a link between Alzheimer’s and inflammation in the brain.

In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, data was gathered on more than 1000 men and women, none of which had a previous diagnosis of decreased brain function. 16 percent of the study group said they rarely or never consumed foods containing curry, while 43 percent of the respondents indicated that they regularly consume curry-based meals.

Each participant then completed the Mini-mental State Examination which is a commonly used test to assess cognitive ability and screen for dementia.

Whaddya know! On average the curry gulping folk scored much higher on their examinations than those that routinely abstain from curry consumption.

The authors of the study are hoping that more research will lead them to the discovery of curry, or rather, the key ingredient curcumin’s ability provide a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Certainly curry is delicious, but if it can help your brain to move a bit faster, who would not be all for that.

With so many people fixed on coffee for their morning brain-fog lifter, let’s all just hope our local coffee houses don’t start serving up CurryLattes with a spot of Mango Chutney atop the whip cream.

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Well, McDonalds may be on the right track…FINALLY. While McDonalds has been historically known for its Big Mac and other limp burger offerings, its internationally renowned, multiple award winning french fries were also an artery-clogging champ in the race towards heart disease, obesity, and so much more.

I will be the first to admit that McDonalds does make a killer bag of fries (pun intended). But it looks like there is a wonderful change on the horizon there under the Golden Arches. At a recent shareholder’s meeting, McDonalds annonced that it’ll be switching to trans-fat free oils…again I say, FINALLY!

Don’t go thinking the execs at McD’s are finally seeing the error of their death-food schlepping ways, oh no no. With the recent spate of anti-trans-fat lawsuits aimed at the big fast-food chains, this move looks more like McD’s is trying to get trans-free before the health-mafia comes knocking for a payoff. But I certainly won’t complain about that kind of change, whatever their motivation is, it DOES mean healthy-er-ish-like food from the clown of burgers.

To their credit, they already use healthier oils in 3500 restaurants and intended to have all 13,700 locations moved over to the new trans-fat free model within the year. And whoa, surprisingly they also expect to sell more food as a result. Think of it as self-preservation and good advertising all rolled up into one politically correct, environmentally friendly, biodegradable styrene clamshell.

Well, with all that said, this is still a good thing to see, but don’t go thinking you can now “eat yourself healthy” under the golden arches. It’s still delicious poison in a pretty wrapper.

Oh Yeah, anyone who knows indian foods knows turmeric. But its utility doesn’t seemed to be limited to those hot plates of curry, or so says a group of researchers at the University of Arizona.

A previous study indicated that turmeric helped reduce joint inflammation in rats, while this latest study that was published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, focused more on determining the exact component of turmeric that held these much sought after anti-inflammatory benefits.

The researchers collected the pure extracts from the root of the turmeric plant and compared those extracts to a series of commercially available turmeric extracts. The commercial product that was found to be the most effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the lab rats was the extract containing curcumin but without the essential oils from the turmeric plant.

The scientists theorized that the turmeric/curcumin extract causes the protein NF-KB, which increases the production of joint destroying inflammatory proteins, to remain dormant. Researchers also noted that the turmeric extract blocked a pathway in the body that has been linked to the loss of bone density, which lead them to believe that it could be effective in treating osteoporosis. Dr. Janet Funk, the lead researcher, and her colleagues also suggested the possibility that turmeric may be useful in treating other inflammatory ailments like multiple sclerosis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Fenugreek…Heartburn…Fenugreek?!? Well for any of you who aren’t already in the know, fenugreek is an herb that is largely used in the pickling process, as well as in traditional Indian curry. It’s also known for its ability to fight infection, ease sinus and lung congestion, and act as anti-inflammatory compound. Fenugreek is also used by post-partum women to promote adequate breast milk production, and is also believed to increase breast size.

But there is a possible new benefit for those of you already taking fenugreek extract. Frutarom, a major flavor and fragrance manufacturer, is currently investigating the heartburn-preventing properties of fenugreek extract. According to Liesbeth Neven, Frutarom’s marketing manager, the company began investigating fenugreek extract’s effects on heartburn. This was after they received some minor reports of its efficacy. The company also came across a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology suggesting that the extract provided anti-ulcer benefits in rats.

Frutarom hopes to begin human trials of within the next six months, with possible results to be available by the end of the year.

“It gives people the possibility to immediately judge if it helps,” Neven said, contrasting fenugreek extract to other heartburn reducing supplements, which need to be used over an extended period of time before any results are noticeable.

Another big plus for fenugreek is that it doesn’t appear to have any know interactions with any other medications or supplements. The exact opposite is true for other heartburn treatments like antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors which are known to cause non-trivial side effects including headaches, dizziness, and diarrhea.

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Planetary Formulas® Full Spectrum™ Fenugreek Extract - A traditional fenugreek seed powder combined with fenugreek extract rich in galactomannan fibers and 4-hydroxyisoleucine.